


As the World Wilts and Withers Away

by zylistic



Category: Hermitcraft RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Angst with a Happy Ending, I promise, One Shot, no beta we die like real men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:49:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28550415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zylistic/pseuds/zylistic
Summary: This is a short story of a once prosperous world in ruins and how it was brought back to life with great sacrifice.Whenever Scar thought of these things, he’d experience pain, anger, but all-in-all great agony for those they’ve lost in the war. Friend or foe, it didn’t matter as he realized how great of a loss they’d experienced. H.E.P. members who promised to return with more rations returned with infections instead, and some didn’t even return at all....Scar hated it.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	As the World Wilts and Withers Away

**The world they walked on stopped spinning.**

Maybe it still did, yet no one had the ability to see beyond the dark clouds that plagued the sky. The sun was nowhere to be seen, as if it was always nighttime.

When was the last time they saw and felt the heat of the sun? When was the last time their crops have been nurtured? When was the last time they saw a glimmer of hope in seeing the sun rise?

It was as if when the world turned dark, so did they as humans. The once mighty-standing mayor and his associates now hid in ruined buildings where once great structures stood, now abandoned and overrun by fungi.

“It’s about the principle,” Scar whispered to himself, clutching his shirt. “That’s what they said, wasn’t it?”

He was scared. Terrified, more than anything. He, along with Cub and Bdubs, decided to scout out the old MooPop Factory they once built with their own two hands and try and see if there were any remaining food or drink to be found. The ravagers they once called their own and were meant to protect them were now under control of the spore, and if weren’t for the safety measures the three men took before coming here, they would be too.

They needed it now more than ever, after all.

**The world they lived in was once paradise.**

Sure, it had its ups and downs. Running an entire district, making sure everything was in order and managing all funds didn’t come easy, after all. While Scar did have his fellow hermits who were all willing to help him when need be, it was still _his_ job to do, and he knew that.

It was all worth it in the end though. Being able to help his friends does bring a smile on his face. More than that, he was able to have authority over them, and he sat in a luxurious throne made of diamonds alongside his beloved cat—what more could he desire?

…But it all left as quickly as it arrived.

A ravager growled. It was right around the corner, and Scar’s heart pounded. Beside him to the right sat Bdubs, and to Scar’s left was Cub, who turned to him and put a finger in front of his mouth, silently telling Scar to calm down.

“I got this,” Cub’s eyes told him. “Trust me.” He mouthed quietly.

Scar trusted those eyes. He’s always did, and there will never be a moment where he didn’t.

Nodding, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, feeling his friend Bdubs tremble in fear beside him. Scar remembers Bdubs’ persistence to come along, despite knowing how dangerous it would be.

 _“As your Co-Captain—no, as your_ friend _—I want to be there for you.” Bdubs says, his hand landing on Scar’s shoulder. “Scar, it’s time I repay you.”_

_Scar’s eyes widened. Was Bdubs feeling indebted to him this whole time? Did he feel like he owed Scar for everything they’ve done and been through? He shook his head ‘no’._

_“Bdubs, I-” He tried to say, but was interrupted by a hand telling him to stop._

_“Nope! Don’t even think about it! Ol’ Bdubs is gonna take the hits for you two, ya hear?!”_

_Scar looked to Cub for guidance but was instead taken aback by the latter’s response._

_“We’d rather you not.” Cub said, handing Bdubs a mask._

Scar was, and still is, left dumbfounded.

He then heard it; a glass bottle shattered as it hit the wall far from them. It was no doubt thrown by Cub, and Scar was glad he trusted him—Cub always knew what to do. This distracted the nearby ravagers enough to let them sneak past into the vault room without being noticed.

“I could’ve distracted them myself.” Bdubs whispered as he and Scar blocked the old vault door with a nearby shelf, pushing it until they were sure it was secure enough.

“There is no way we were gonna let you do that.” Scar responded, panting as he slid down the wall.

“Well that’s what I’m here for, to serve as a distraction just in case!”

“Pipe down, they might hear you,” Cub suddenly said from across the room, inspecting some craters that once held bottles of MooPop. “Ah, these are expired…”

That one word brought silence upon the room. There was a solemn atmosphere to be found as they realized the weight of Cub’s words.

“It’s… It’s been that long, huh?”

Scar had never felt more pain in Bdubs’ voice.

**The world they once had in their hands was in ruins.**

They ran the world, didn’t they? Sure, there was Xisuma who was greater in power and therefore had more authority, but he still abided by Scar’s laws in the end. The masked admin never stated his reasons for doing so, but his service was still greatly appreciated by members of the town hall. When Scar invited him into joining H.E.P. and fighting against the Resistance twisted yet unknown ‘principle’, he didn’t hesitate in joining their side.

The principle… What even _was_ the principle? No one knew. If you asked the people once associated with the resistance, they would say it was to send a message. What was that message, exactly? That the spores were to spread and ruin an economy? That their future would be greatly ruined because of some fungi? That the world they built from the ground up were to be destroyed due to the consequences of their actions?

Whenever Scar thought of these things, he’d experience pain, anger, but all-in-all great agony for those they’ve lost in the war. Friend or foe, it didn’t matter as he realized how great of a loss they’d experienced. H.E.P. members who promised to return with more rations returned with infections instead, and some didn’t even return at all.

Even their supposed enemies, the Mycelium Resistance, who only promised to be fighting against them in hopes of sending them a message, have fallen; their minds and bodies were taken over by the shrooms, and soon the Mother Spore took root in the heart of the Shopping District.

Not only did this strike fungi into the land, but it also struck fear into the hearts of those not deserving of it. It ruined countless lives, brought devastation amongst the hermits, and it destroyed everything they’ve ever loved.

Scar hated it.

**The world has no hope of ever recovering.**

“X, do you think we could go back to the way things were?” Scar asked, looking over the dark sky as he and what’s left of his team sat on the rooftop of what was once Grian’s mansion.

Hearing no answer from the admin, he continued. “Before all of this madness happened, do you think there was a way to—I don’t know, reset it?”

Xisuma sat up. It wasn’t as if he had stars to look up to, anyway. “I’ve looked for certain ways but none would come to mind. The world’s far too corrupted, after all.”

“Corrupted?” Scar asked. He thought for a moment. “Well, that’s certainly a strange term to use, but it’s probably accurate. You know more than I do.”

Xisuma then stood up, stretching his arms over his head. He put his hands on his hips, overlooking the magical village that once thrived with business and filled with life. “Yes… Strange indeed.”

The admin was certainly a mystery Scar’s never admitted to ever knowing a single thing about. X is a good man, he knew, but there was always something different about him. X claims to have power unbeknownst to man, one rarely heard of, and it wasn’t to be messed around with as it could wipe out an entire race—or so Xisuma says.

Scar could see the truth behind his words.

He looked to where X was staring at, and he’s never felt worse. The village… Oh how he loved his first home. It was overrun by magical crystals that grew from the ground up and poor villagers in need of guidance, and Scar was that guidance. He’s helped those people grow their crops, furnished their homes, given them a life well-deserved for such hardworking townsfolk. Because of its magical prowess, giant mushrooms began to grow around them, and Scar was entranced by their beauty.

Maybe that was the first sign he shouldn’t have ignored.

“You know,” Xisuma’s words brought him out of his thoughts. “Maybe there _is_ a way.”

Scar turned to X in an instant, and for the first time, he had hope. “Really?”

The admin, however, didn’t look all too hopeful. “Yes.” He said, clearly reluctant.

“Then do it!” Scar stood up, careful enough to not slip. “If what you say is true, then why don’t you-”

“It’s not that easy, Scar.” Xisuma said. Though he looked calm, his voice was shaking. “It’s not as simple as I make it out to be. There are consequences to it, and if anything, even _the slightest bit_ goes wrong, it could all be over!”

Scar had never seen Xisuma lash out like this. The admin was fair and just, he was a gentleman who chooses never to raise his voice. Hearing him shout like this, it was too much for Scar’s already tainted heart to handle.

“I’m sorry.” He stuttered.

Silence.

Why did X feel this way? He’s done this once before, hasn’t he? Still, the thought of resetting the world… It didn’t sit right with him. The first time he did this, it wasn’t even him doing it. It was back then, and he was only studying the ways of being admin. He had someone to teach him to ensure the safety of the server, but now? He was all on his own, and if it goes wrong, he could lose everyone and all the memories they’ve created to the corruption, and he didn’t want that.

…But this was his only choice.

“Don’t be,” he said. “I’m going to make things right. I’ll reset the world, and all will be back to normal.”

Scar looked up to meet the admin’s eyes hidden behind his helmet. It mirrored the same glimmer of hope he had.

It had been such a long time since he’s felt the feeling of having hope that it felt foreign. It didn’t sit right with him. But it wasn’t a bad feeling, just something he’s grown to be unfamiliar with because of everything that has happened.

Scar smiled and nodded once.

“I trust you, X.”

He didn’t know what Xisuma meant by ‘resetting the world’, but maybe he was better off not knowing.

With that, Xisuma took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll see you later then.” He waved and without another word, he vanished.

That certainly took Scar by surprise. Where did he go? What happened? He didn’t see X throw an ender pearl, so maybe it was one of his powers, then.

X was certainly an enigma that Scar could never understand.

However, having reassurance that X would do his best to ‘reset the world’ (whatever that meant), Scar sat back down and stared ahead of him.

He closed his eyes and began humming a tune. It was his favorite song, one he used to listen to when building. It was slowed down as he hummed, however, as it didn’t feel right to hum it in its usual, upbeat tune.

He sat there on the roof of the mansion, unknowing of what was happening around him as the world was slowly engulfed in data and pixels.

Scar smiled as the world wilts and withers away in front of him.

**The world… deserves a second chance.**

Xisuma opened his eyes. In front of him where his friends. Hermits he never thought he’d see again. They all had grins on their faces as they excitedly looked around at the world around them.

X blinked back his tears when he was asked to do a short welcome speech. He smiled underneath his mask.

“Hello everyone, and welcome to Hermitcraft Season 7—GO!”

**Author's Note:**

> this was a short thing i decided to write instead of doing homework, the thought of the war going haywire and x having to reset the world in exchange for all that happened in s7 so far was interesting, then i realized hey didnt it seem like he just time traveled back in time? and now i look stupid so there's that ig :/
> 
> will i make this into a series of works following this ruined timeline who knows


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